Not trying to rip on Auto Zone, but I'm finding this everywhere these days. I sent my wife to Auto Zone to pick up some high build primer. Every auto store has high build primer. She didn't know what I was talking about so I told her to just tell the guy there that I wanted some high build primer. My wife called me back and said the guy behind the counter didn't know what I was talking about. I told my wife to just go to where the spray paints are and look for the Dupli-color high build primer. She found it with no problem. In fact they had several colors of it. What is the use of people? You can't hire anybody these days that has a clue! All they know it Imstant Message, X-Box and Play Station.

Yea i hate going in those stores and no one can help you,,I use NAPA,,for most of my parts,Frank

I bet the guy knows exactly where to find the subwoofers and windshield washer LED lights!

I NEVER ask them where to find anything. I'll walk around for 15 minutes looking until I find it myself.

With there very limited knowedge they should quit asking if they can help us and we should walk in there store and as if we can help them. All they know is... What year, make, model and engine do you have and then they wait for their computer to tell them everything.

I went to Autozone the other day and there was all women working. I didn't bother asking for any help, and haven't been back. Thank God this isn't the only auto parts in town!

Originally posted by camaro man:
With there very limited knowedge they should quit asking if they can help us and we should walk in there store and as if we can help them. All they know is... What year, make, model and engine do you have and then they wait for their computer to tell them everything. How would you like us to search for your parts....by the color of your car???

My wife quit going to the parts store. She couldn't handle the dolts behind the counter.

"From now on you get your own parts" were her exact words.

If I give you an Edelbrock PN how difficult can it be to look it up?

Originally posted by CFunK:
My wife quit going to the parts store. She couldn't handle the dolts behind the counter.

"From now on you get your own parts" were her exact words.

If I give you an Edelbrock PN how difficult can it be to look it up? I've had doctors come in to buy wiper blades, and then come back in after a few minutes to have one of us "dolts" put them on for them. Guess it's all a matter of perspective.

We think many of the customers are dolts too, so it all works out in the end.

Perhaps I am a bit sensitive to the "doctors" comment. Swap "doctors" for "lawyers" and I am with you.

True, but any dolt can put on wiper blades, be it the parts store employees or the customers. smile.gif

Atleast the crew at my local place is guys that know whats going on. They know the part numbers off the top of their heads and are always right. When I go to Autozone it's a younger crowd that has no idea what a carbuerator is or you get the "Is that a V-TECH".I'm 23 but atleast I know the difference.

I took an engine rebuild class a few years ago. There were 3 girls in the class, and the cute one finished her engine before me, and most others. She now works for autozone and knows more about cars than I do. And if I wasn't married....

yeah they hire kids with little or nop knowledge at all.
autozone ,pepboys,advance auto all the same
support your local mom and pop autostore.
they know what you want at least and less hassles to boot!

Yep, everybody, most everybody, relies on that ol' computer to do the work for them. Once in a while, I'll get a good operator and maybe they will have the part I request.

But what's worse is I'll visit Pep Boys, only place having Autolite plugs, and ask for #25's.
"Year make and model, please."
"1968 Che-vro-let Ca-mar-o 327 CID V8, 4-spd, std trans."
"Okay, just a sec...."
"This plug is not used on a 68 Camaro application."
"I know, I've changed heads."
"I can't sell you these plugs."
(I can see them from the counter on the rack.)
"If I promise not to sue, can I have them?"
"Yes sir, need anything else with those plugs, oil, filter, plug wires,or belts?"
"No, thank you."
"Have a nice day, sir"

It is amazing the number of intelligent women coming into the field. I did get confronted by one recently rumaging through the aisle, I had asked for muffler seal. She chuckled and said there was no such item. I suggested the next time you have 5 minutes, look up an exhaust pipe to manifold gasket for a 96 Nissan Altima with a 4-cyl. She smiled and said she be right back. She returned with amazement and said Thank you for the experience.
She told me she called the dealer and asked and they gave her the title from the part envelope label, Muffler Seal.

I like a person who wants to broaden their knowledge and experience. People skills count alot also. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

My favorite parts joint locally (AutoZone) is MANAGED by a woman. She's very knowledgable and helpful. Offered to bring some small parts from home that they didn't stock on the shelf for me once.
I've found another great resource (read: counter person) at a second AutoZone locally also. He bent over backwards to help me when I was piecing together the front disc swap. I get the same service at an Advance Auto Parts in town that I've frequented. A second Advance near me is just like Pep-Kids.... nasty, scowling bums who just want to sell you parts. And they're NOT kids. :rolleyes:

I don't\won't shop at Pep-Kids. 'Nough said.

It all depends on who's working behind the counter. Do what I did and visit all the parts joints around you. Find the folks that are willing to listen and help. I'll go out of my way to visit the same stores just because of the experiences I've had.

Seems like AZ takes alot of knocks on this site. Personally I've had pretty good luck at AZ. They must be doing something right, they're everywhere and I don't see them closing many stores. Seems that they do hire a younger crowd to work the counters, but the more knowledgable older people cannot afford to work at that pay scale. So you get what you get at those chain stores (and all retail in general) and I've found that just a little patience on the customer's part goes a long way. If the chain stores are so frustrating, why do you shop there? Probably because of price. So go to the privately owned parts store and pay a little more, because the counter person may be a little more knowledgable. Everything comes at a price.

AutoZone now finds used parts for you! I haven't tried it out yet but they say they offer used parts in their commercials.
Can you imagine trying to explain what you need from a 1969 Chevy?? :eek:

The Autozone in my area has their act together. I always go in there first when I need something . The counter guys and girls know what their doing, they even let me go in the back and dig through their stock to find radiator hoses for my small block Vega I'm building. So don't lump all Autozone's into the idiot zone. If I had to rate the part houses in my area my list is 1. Autozone 2. Car Quest (good machine shop) 3. Kragen (oil or plugs) 4. Pep Boys (small stuff oil plugs) 5. NAPA (too much $$ for parts plus the counter guy always brags about how he built racing engines for years it gets old). And if a kid is working behind the counter cut him some slack because he could be out there not working doing drugs and breaking into houses. Just my $.02

I spent 8 years working at AZ part-time. I can say this with some degree of certainty. Yes, AZ as well as many others hire youngsters with little or no knowledge. They come cheap. AZ has a philosophy of "I can train a dumb kid to look up parts cheaper than hiring a person who knows what they are looking for". It's all in the $$. Just think, someday, you will walk in and talk to a computer directly. The voice you hear will have an accent....." thank you for choosing AutoZone. I am Ahmed. How can I be helping you". Don't knock all of them though. There are many out there that do know their rear from a hole in the ground and many that go the extra mile. Now, with that said, I can speak about the idiot customers that we had to deal with. "I need a set of valve cover gaskets for a small block chevy" What year? "They are all the same". No they are not. Newer engines are center bolt, very old are offset bolt". "I never heard of such a thing". "It's true". Or, "do I use silicone sealer under the carb gasket"? My very favorite one is the youngster that came in and wanted a "race cam" for his ford. Since I was the hot rod guy, they punted him to me. After we spoke, I really tried to tell him a "race cam" is not what he wanted and tried to convince him to go with a good street cam (almost stock 302). "NO! I want a race cam. Do you know what that is"? Yeah, I'm the idiot. So I got him one. A month later, he wanted to return it for a refund because his car drove like "sh*t with it". I don't think so wonder boy.

It takes all kinds, knowledgable people, patience, and customers who actually know what they want. Also, I have had my most difficult experiences with those who send their wives to get the parts. When ol'e wify can't recall what it was he wanted, I called the hubby and asked. Sometimes it was ok, other times I got chewed out by hubby. Try this once, (wife at the store) "my husband needs this part" (she hands over a scribbled part # 1443589-8. Look it up and tell her that can either be a manifold gasket for a Rambler, a can of carb cleaner, or a diet coke. What was it he wanted.

In order for stores like autozone, checker, etc to be able to keep their costs down they have to be able to hire inexperienced people that will work for less. That means that they have to provide some kind of tool (the computer) to be able to lookup parts for people.

I suppose if parts stores had to hire only experienced people that knew cars their payroll expenses would go up as experienced people would demand more money.


Here's an idea....

Cut out the kid that doesn't know squat about cars. Have a self service station where you and I could punch in the make, model, year, part, etc and the computer could spit out a part number. Then walk up to a counter where all they do is fetch the part based on the paper with the part number. That way you could have less people working at the store and the savings could be passed on to us. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

For people that have questions, maybe you could have a call center. Have a hotline phone from the store to the help center where knowledgable people could answer questions. That way you'd house all of your "smart" people in one location and save money. You could even have a camara at the store that would "beam" an image to the help center if you had a walk in customer that said "I need this part, from my 97 honda civic".


Anywho....just rambling! :D

Their commercials STRESS the fact that their counter help is knowledgable, helpful, experienced, "professional".
I know, I know.... ya can't believe everything you see on TV.

Another example are the ADT Security system commercials they've been playing. This blows me away!
They show us this darkened, Star Trek futuristic room with giant TV screens with data and maps all over the walls, and people dressed in formal attire sitting at huge flat screens showing maps to your house with the words ALARM flashing! Everyone is busy running around with this major sense of urgency and all these images of maps and flashing lights all over the place. It reminds me of NORAD or something.
That commercial is so blatantly false it sickens me. The fact is (you really don't want to know what the customer call centers are REALLY like, believe me), it's just the opposite of that commercial. Just media marketing.

Originally posted by paulm:
Have a self service station where you and I could punch in the make, model, year, part, etc and the computer could spit out a part number. Then walk up to a counter where all they do is fetch the part based on the paper with the part number. That way you could have less people working at the store and the savings could be passed on to us. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

:D [/QB]That is a great idea. Matter of fact, you can already do that at Autozone, right from the comfort of your own computer. You can lookup the part, the availability of the part, and even put that part on hold from your house. A few times a day I have a sharp customer come in with a parts list, and I get the parts for him/her and away they go.

I frequently let customers play with the computer if we aren't too busy, and they can lookup parts and prices for future purchase. I can say in all honesty that about 99% of our customers approve of the way the store operates, all the way down to the quality of the staff. Most folks understand that inexpensive parts are a result of inexpensive operating costs, which sometimes includes the overall quality of the parts and the help.

In the final analysis, the service people at AZ and the other chains really do want to help you. In the world of "the customer is always right," we sometimes eat a sh@t sandwich when a customer acts like a jerk, but it's all part of the job I suppose. AZ is a highly successful auto parts chain (biggest by far) so they must be doing something right.

There is always room in the market for a sharp guy with a good idea, so don't be afraid to start your own store, just as AZ did so long ago when it was called Auto Shack. You can run it how you think it should be run, and hire guys that meet your qualifications. In the world of quick, cheap service, AZ and the others are giving the public what it wants...cheap parts, fast.

One more thing. When I started, I got AZ stock at 24 per share. I sold at 117 per share. Go figure..........and AZ helped me buy part of it.

That is a great idea. Matter of fact, you can already do that at Autozone, right from the comfort of your own computer. You can lookup the part, the availability of the part, and even put that part on hold from your house. A few times a day I have a sharp customer come in with a parts list, and I get the parts for him/her and away they go.
Ya, the only thing that I don't get is the discount for cutting out the middle man.

Originally posted by paulm:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> That is a great idea. Matter of fact, you can already do that at Autozone, right from the comfort of your own computer. You can lookup the part, the availability of the part, and even put that part on hold from your house. A few times a day I have a sharp customer come in with a parts list, and I get the parts for him/her and away they go.
Ya, the only thing that I don't get is the discount for cutting out the middle man. </font>[/QUOTE]No, but avoiding the hassle of unqualified help and the assurance that you received the correct part has got to be worth something. smile.gif

I tend to have pretty good luck with our parts stores but recently I got a wrong manual steering gearbox that was for a First Gen. instead of an old beater, '80, C/10..

I hunted all over everywhere for an inexpensive one AND AutoZone's web site had it AND freight was free BUT took longer than next-day!!

And yes, several of the young ladies ARE very good about finding stuff for me.. Especially at O-Reilly's!

One thing I will say is to ONLY ask for what you want AND don't small talk or you might confuse the Counterperson b/c he/she deals with probably a hundred people, (or more), every day and can get confused easy b/c of all the parts they have to look up!!

pdq67

I realize the necessity of the computer to look up stock parts considering the complexity of todays vehicles. My frustration is usually in the area's where the computers won't help. Like my first post where the counterperson didn't know what high build primer was and my wife found it on the shelf with the paints. Another good one was a few years ago when I asked for tractions bars and the person didn't know what they were. It's too bad the auto parts stores don't pay their help more money to have more knowledgeable people there. Good help is becoming extinct and everything is turning into a Wal-Mart.

I have been mostly dealing with my local Kragen Auto since my AZ is run by a bunch of Yahoo's who only know where the stereo's are and how to turn them up to 11!

Anyway, 2 weeks ago I ordered a MC and power booster. When I got them home I noticed the booster had the check valve sheered off. I took it back to the guy behind the counter. He was apologetic and ordered me another one right away. I picked it up last Friday and put it on over the weekend. Turns out booster #2 doesnt hold vacuum. So I took it back and now the counter guy was pissed at the main warehouse. He ordered another one for me. I needed a few little items and he gave me his 20% discount for my trouble. Fast forward to tonight, I go pick up the booster and I asked the guy if I can open the box before I leave. I open the box and what do I find??? The original booster (#1) with the check valve still sheared off. These idiots at the main warehouse to the defective booster and put it back on the shelf.


Good thing this booster isnt for my daily driver cause this has been a big inconveinence.

Bob

Originally posted by 67 Convertible:
Seems like AZ takes alot of knocks on this site. They do, but the best usually does take the most heat. Regardless of what the few say, the numbers do not lie. Anyone on this forum choosing to buy stock in an auto parts store would buy Autozone.

The few that complain are guys that I imagine find fault in any system anytime things don't go 100% their way. That's human nature I suppose. Some guys forget that there is a human element to selling autoparts, and communication and patience will usually get you what you want, even with the most inexperienced counterperson. smile.gif

My local Kragen guys are knowledgable and they offer price match plus 5% and/or a 10% military discount. The local CarQuest has muscle car guys behind the counter and a bigger selection of made in the USA parts in stock, plust they usually give me some type of discount off thier price as well. The local AZ has the biggest selection of rental tools but recently "forgot" to credit my cc account for parts that never came after one of thier people cancelled my order without telling me. I'll use Kragen or CQ any day, but I'll only go to AZ as a last resort.

Communication & patience is the key between the customer and retailer. You, the customer, know what you want, tell the retailer to the best of your ability, and you will be rewarded.

In reverse, the retailer has to "listen" and ask the questions to the customer for what they want and provide a service/product to the customer for their later patronage.

Both parties should treat each other as if they were in the opposite role.

I will say this!

I ordered a BB Z-bar for my car from NPD and it arrived in a GOOD box BROKEN!

I called them up and got the "hold" run-a-round the first time and an hour later I called them back and again was put on hold for 20 minutes!!

BUT they sent me a new one and they said to keep the broken one!!

THEY knew darn good and well the sucker was broken when they boxed it AND sent it to me!!

I think it might have been MarkM that mentioned something about bad E-Brake calipers a long time ago that kept getting sent back and forth from the Warehouse to the Parts Store to the Customer several times until some unknowing unlucky sucker got stuck with them b/c he didn't know they didn't work right!

And I just hope mine work OK?????

I honestly figure it is a business, "Innovative Economy" strategy nowadays to max. profits AT the expense of your customer base!!

pdq67

Reminds me of Browns Hardware. Anyone native to Sac. remembers Browns. Owned by an old timer, run by old timers, wood floors and wood drawers. You could walk into that place with the most obscure fastener or plumbing part etc. and the guy would walk you down the narrow aisle and open one of the wood drawers, pick up a box, or part, blow the dust off it and voila!, you were on your way.

Any more I only go to the auto stores in my area that are the same way. Worn stools, counter so worn from parts being dumped on it, smells like machine oil, run by middle age gearheads, country music on the boom-box with TV tuned to NASCAR on mute, cash register buttons are black from ringing up parts while they hold `em, and not always in the best part of town. BUT.... I get what I need, and they know and understand more about my application and their inventory than relying on the computer.
I go to AZ for oil\filters, air filters and JB Weld though.